"Even with these design improvements, the Surface’s core design is simply physically more complicated than a laptop’s single hinge. You will find yourself mucking about with setting the kickstand in the right place on your knees and dealing with that cover flapping about. "

-The Verge.

The solution is far simpler than you'd realize. Third party case accessory makers will do this, but to remove this stigma it has to come from Microsoft.

An adjustable keyboard cover which let's Surface stand without the flap. We already have keyboard covers like that for iPad, and with Microsoft's design prowess they could make it much thinner and better.

The Surface hinge does feel like made for touch use, and not laptop conversion. Do that, and we have the best of the both worlds.